Vegan Sweet Potato and Basil Pesto Paninis:

Unfortunately life sometimes gets in the way of this blog. The past month has been a whirlwind for me, and as a result, there are many reasons for my recent but short hiatus from blogging. Not only did I start a new job a little over a month ago, I've been writing papers, doing presentations, working on Bar Prep, taking exams, and traveling. I traveled home to celebrate my 25th birthday and my best friend's wedding, and then I had one last final to finish up last night after I got back. (More on that in my next post). I also had problems at the DMV (this always seems to happen to me), and some of my best friends decided to throw me a surprise party when I got back on Sunday night, which was very sweet of them. Consequently, I have been one busy lady!

This recipe was kind of a crazy, throw-together-type-of-thing, but it turned out delicious. I knew that I wanted to make some sort of panini, but since I've used tomatoes in my, I don't know, last 5 posts or so, I felt the need to use something different. I picked up some fresh basil last night, and I've had a can of yams in my pantry for awhile now, so I figured I'd go for it. It's delicious yet whimsical, and it's pretty in its own way.

Ingredients:

1 can yams, drained - 29oz.

1 medium white onion, sliced

1/4 cup water

Salt

Dash of cayenne

2 tsp. olive oil

For the pesto:

1 1/2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

You'll also need:

4 flat breads, naan, or 8 slices of your choice of bread

4 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions:

1. First, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt to a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
 2. Next, in a large skillet, and the onions, salt, olive oil, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking until the onions are soft and tender, and the water has evaporated.
3. Stir in the yams, and mash down a little. Add a little more salt and of dash a cayenne. Cook on medium to medium-high heat for another 7 minutes. 
4. Heat one side of your grill to high, and the other side to medium or medium-low.
 5. Next, spoon 1/4 of the pesto mixture onto one-half of each flat bread, and then drizzle each half with 1 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette. Cover each half with approximately 1/4 of the yam mixture, and then fold the top half of the flat breads over each sandwich.
6. Once the grill is heated, place each panini on the side heated with high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, pressing down on the paninis with a spatula a little, and then transfer the paninis to the side that's heated to medium, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Notes: You can also use a panini press, Foreman Grill, or skillet to cook the paninis. Walnuts or pecans would also add a nice touch to the pesto.

Fresh Vegan Veggie and Basil Pesto Sandwich:

Looking for a fresh and healthy meal option? Look no further than this basil pesto and vegetable sandwich. I had it when I was visiting Disney with my family, and it was so good that I figured I'd recreate it here. Pesto is so good for you, and it lends a nice and summery flavor to the dish, as do the fresh vegetables. Just look at how colorful this sandwich is! Whip these up for lunch or dinner any day. They're also perfect for a beach day or hiking trip.

Anyways, I hope that you are all having a wonderful Monday. I had a pretty busy and crazy weekend, so I'm struggling a bit, but I guess that's the price you pay for having too much fun. I had to take the MPRE (an ethics test for attorneys), so I decided to take it in South Florida and visit some good friends at the same time.

After the exam, we got all prettied-up and went to my friends' law prom. It was a lot of fun. Their prom also had a lot of good veggie options. The starter was a fancy and decadent pear, walnut, and spring mix salad. My entree consisted of carrots and asparagus in some sort of glaze (I had a few too many dirty martinis at that point, so I can't remember the exact flavors all that well, but I do know that the chef did a great  job and actually made an effort to put flavor in my dish). The vegetables also came with a delicious polenta, which took me all of ten seconds to scarf down.

Along with my yummy entree, I had a hefty serving of bread dipped in oil and vinegar. I'm pretty sure that I ate at least seven pieces. (Fatty). They brought cheesecake out for dessert, and though it looked delicious, I obviously declined. But when I got the munchies at the end of the night, they had huge bowls of hummus, chips, and salsa out for everyone. Unfortunately, some of that ended up on my white dress, and I just paid a ridiculous sum of money to have it dry cleaned last week. It was worth it though. I guess I'll be heading back to the dry cleaners again this week, and I'm sure they'll shake their heads.

Getting back to the food, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

4 slices of focaccia bread

1 tomato, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 white onion, sliced

1/2  medium cucumber, sliced

1 roasted red pepper, cut in half

A few pieces of lettuce

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. roasted pine nuts

1/3 cup hummus 

1/4 tsp. salt

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Add the basil, pine nuts, salt, and olive oil to your food processor. Process the mixture until it's smooth and creamy.
2. Next, spread 1/6 cup of the hummus on two slices of focaccia. Top each with a few slices of tomato, cucumbers, onions, roasted red pepper, and lettuce.
3. Spread the basil pesto mixture on the remaining two pieces of focaccia, and place on top of the sandwich. Cut each sandwich in half, and enjoy!

At the ball with Monsignor, who, by the way, is one of the most interesting people in the world. He is also the amazing person who puts our Spain study abroad trip together.

Gluten Free & Vegan Zucchini and Tomato Bruschetta Pasta:

Hey all. I know it's been almost a week since I last posted, but I was out of town. School has also been pretty crazy since I got back, but I did have an awesome time in Colorado. I'm sure I'll finally get to posting about it this weekend. My trip was refreshing, and it was so nice to get away. Though I'm frustrated trying to get this paper done, good things are happening for me right now. I hope things are going well for all of you too.

That said, here is a simple and quick recipe for days when you need the nutrients to get you through a rough day, sans the energy and time that's normally required. This can be made in 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your chopping skills. It's fresh and summery, the perfect reminder that warm weather is just around the corner. Drizzle it with a little balsamic vinaigrette for even more flavor. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 medium to large zucchini, julienned

1 1/2 cups tomato, diced

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of dried thyme

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to coat.

Vegan Toasted Caprese Sandwiches:

Right now, in Florida, huge, ripe tomatoes just about everywhere. I'm obsessed. Fortunately, I've had a few of these ripe tomatoes hanging around in my house, so I finally had the opportunity to make these sandwiches.

A thickly-cut, ripe tomato between two pieces of freshly toasted bread gets me every time. Such a sandwich takes me on journeys back to picnics in the woods on warm sunny days, to sandy beaches and cold pina coladas, and to Rome, where you can find a Caprese sandwich at every food vendor. These sandwiches remind me most of Caprese sandwiches, but because they are toasted, they are also reminscent of club sandwiches and BLT's. Add a little vegan "bacon" if you're feeling like having a vegan BLT.

If you don't have (or just don't have time to make) cashew cheese, you can always replace it with Daiya mozzarella or Dijon mustard.

Ingredients:

1 large, ripe tomato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2/3 cup cashew cheese (or to taste)
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tbsp. pine nuts
1 tbsp. olive oil
Dash of salt
6 slices of fresh bread

Instructions:

1. First, prepare your pesto. Add the basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and salt to your food processor and process until smooth.

2. Next, toast your slices of bread. You can cut the veggies while the bread is toasting if you want.

3. Once the bread is toasted, put 2 slices of tomato on each sandwich, followed by 1 tablespoon of cashew cheese, about 2 teaspoons of pesto, and about 1/2 tablespoon of the red onion. Top each sandwich with a piece of bread, cut each sandwich in half, and serve.